A few years ago, I realized that I was thinking about dental care all wrong. Instead of listening carefully to my dentist and making the necessary changes, I assumed that he was ultimately responsible for making sure that my teeth stayed healthy. Unfortunately, I developed a few serious cavities because I failed to properly brush and floss my teeth, and I knew that it was my fault. I decided to start taking notes at my dental checkups and carefully abiding by the dentist's orders. The difference was almost miraculous. This blog is all about working with your dentist to improve your result.

Working With My Dentist

Things You Need To Know About Getting Dental Implants

2 May 2018

Siiri Puro

Dental implants are a very good way to replace lost teeth. The stimulate the jaw bone to keep it from deteriorating, protect any teeth next to them, and can improve your confidence by giving you a great smile. While they are better for the health of your jaw and facial bones then regular dentures, they are also more involved. Here are a few things about dental implants that should help you decide whether or not they will be best for you.

Secure

Whether you decide to use some type of adhesive with regular dentures or not, they are not going to be as secure as dental implants. You will never have to worry about your teeth shifting or coming out as you bite into something hard or very chewy. In addition, you won't ever have to worry about them popping out when you sneeze, cough, or vomit.

Cleaning

Dental implants are cleaned the same way you clean your natural teeth. There is no need to take them out and soak them all night. In fact, you will never take them out. You can brush them and floss them like you normally do. You can also use a water-pik if you prefer.

Procedure

Unfortunately, the procedure for dental implants is much more involved than having dentures made. Depending on how many implant posts are needed, you may have to undergo a few dental surgeries to have them put in. You may need to wait a while for the surgeries to heal before you can have the tooth portion of the implant added. The healing process may be a bit painful.

Permanent

Once the posts are put into your jawbone, they are permanent. The tooth portion may need to be replaced in 25 years, but not the posts. Because the posts stimulate the jawbone as you talk and chew, there will be no problem with needing to replace the teeth due to changes that will make your mouth smaller.

Keep in mind that you do not need to have a post for every tooth. If you lose another tooth in the future you can have a new set of teeth made to fit on your current posts. However, if you have had dentures for a while, your jawbone may have disintegrated enough that having an implant post will be difficult. Talk with your dentist to find out if you are a good candidate for implants. If you are, you should seriously consider them instead of regular dentures.